SBIR Phase I: Lowering Wind Power Costs Through Robust Vertical-Axis Turbines

这个小型企业创新研究（SBIR）项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是通过一个强大的，廉价的，高效的垂直轴风力涡轮机（VAWT）降低风能的成本。该项目有可能通过技术进步提高全球风电产量，通过创新设计降低安装，运营和维护成本，解决以前限制VAWT进入风能市场的可靠性和效率问题。与普通水平轴风力涡轮机（HAWT）相比，所提出的技术需要的部件数量级更少。此外，重型和维护密集型部件位于地面，便于接近。该技术的一个初始市场将是独立的小规模发电，该技术将为偏远地区提供持久，低维护的电力。另一个初始市场是现有风力涡轮机阵列的重新供电和增强。在这里，这项技术将是一个具有成本效益的方法，振兴表现不佳或老化HAWT农场。长期目标是大规模、仅VAWT阵列。最近的科学进展表明，与HAWT不同，VAWT之间的相互作用可能是有益的，从而产生具有成本效益的高输出风电场。SBIR第一阶段项目旨在解决以前限制VAWT进入风能市场的可靠性和效率问题。XFlow Energy的新颖设计采用了一个坚固的固定中心轴，延长了转子的长度，减少了对转子结构的有害负载。这种设计需要一个更大的中心轴比VAWT测试的日期，和一个大的中心轴上VAWT功率输出的影响还没有以前的调查。将在一系列几何形状上进行实验室规模的试验，以分析较大中心轴的流体动力学影响以及由此产生的涡轮机性能和负载变化。该信息将为500 W涡轮机的设计和结构模拟提供信息。 该设计将被原型化，并将进行彻底的性能测量。最终将进行破坏性测试，以确定结构缺陷，并适当更新设计。SBIR第一阶段的目标是生产一种500 W的涡轮机，该涡轮机经过充分表征，可以承受高达100 mph的风速，并准备用于商业化。该设计将为公用事业级涡轮机（50 kW）的开发提供信息，这将是SBIR第二阶段的重点。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project is the reduction of the cost of wind energy through a robust, inexpensive, and efficient vertical-axis wind turbine (VAWT). This project has the potential to increase global wind power production through technological advancements that lower installation, operations, and maintenance costs via an innovative design which addresses reliability and efficiency concerns that have previously limited the penetration of VAWTs into the wind energy market. Compared to the common horizontal-axis wind turbine (HAWT), the proposed technology requires an order of magnitude fewer components. Additionally, heavy and maintenance intensive components are located at ground level for ease of access. One initial market for this technology will be stand-alone, small-scale generation, where this technology will provide long-lasting, low-maintenance power for remote locations. Another initial market is the repowering and augmentation of existing wind turbine arrays. Here, this technology will be a cost effective method of revitalizing underperforming or aging HAWT farms. The long-term objective is large-scale, VAWT-only arrays. Recent scientific advances indicate that, unlike HAWTs, interactions between VAWTs can be beneficial, resulting in cost-effective, high-output wind farms. This SBIR Phase I project proposes to address the reliability and efficiency concerns that have previously limited the penetration of VAWTs into the wind energy market. XFlow Energy's novel design utilizes a robust, stationary central shaft extending the length of the rotor, reducing harmful loading to the rotor structure. This design requires a larger central shaft than VAWTs tested to date, and the impact of a large central shaft on VAWT power output has not been previously investigated. Laboratory-scale tests will be performed on a range of geometries to analyze the fluid-dynamic impact of larger central shafts and the resulting changes in turbine performance and loading. This information will inform the design and structural simulation of a 500 W turbine. This design will be prototyped and will undergo thorough performance measurements. Ultimately destructive testing will be performed to identify structural deficiencies, and the design updated appropriately. The objective of SBIR Phase I is to produce a 500 W turbine that is thoroughly characterized, can survive up to 100 mph winds, and is ready for commercialization. This design will inform development of a utility-scale turbine (50 kW) which will be the focus of SBIR Phase II.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.